# shipman

> English word · Noun · frequency rank #51,989

## Definitions
1. Synonym of sailor.
2. The master of a ship; shiplord.
3. A labourer on a ship.

## Etymology
From Middle English schipman, from Old English scipmann (“shipman, mariner, sailor, rower; one who goes on trading voyages; pirate”). Cognate with Icelandic skipmaður, skipamaður (“shipman”). Equivalent to ship + -man. Compare English boatman.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/shipman